Marianne D. De Backer, MSc, PhD, MBA

Squire Servance founded Syridex Bio, a #healthequity VC fund that invests in therapeutics that address health disparities to drive positive social change. Check out this excellent podcast hosted by Christian Soschner to learn more! 🚀 Investing with Impact: Squire Servance on Health Equity & Venture Capital - proving that profitability and purpose can coexist. 🎙️ What's in the Episode: 1️⃣ Investing in Overlooked Markets: Learn how health disparities create massive untapped opportunities for innovation and investment. 2️⃣ The Power of Diversity: Squire Servance explains why investing in diverse founders and solutions yields better outcomes for both society and investors. 3️⃣ Data-Driven Impact: Discover how Servance evaluates companies to ensure they drive both health equity progress and financial returns. 📌 Quotes: (00:08:10) "The love just kind of grew, grew from there." (00:39:02) "Accelerating health equity, while generating returns, transforms lives and society." (00:57:45) "You can do good and do well by directing capitalism towards health equity." (01:17:35) "We're leaving money on the table by not investing in diverse founders." (01:25:46) "Everyone has blind spots; that's why diverse teams perform better." (01:45:29) "There's no shortcut for success."

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My take on key next steps to transform our healthcare system.

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What is the motivation towards finding a leadership role outside the lab? WIB-San Francisco Bay Area ran a panel with some fantastic women from scientific backgrounds who successfully transitioned from the lab to leadership positions, moderated by Kara Calhoun (NGM Biopharmaceuticals). Let’s say that you are someone like Becky Pferdehirt, PhD (Andreessen Horowitz) who enjoys the initial phase of ideation but when it comes to assay optimization your brain has already moved on to the next ideation process; then a job where you get to set up partnerships (#BD) or invest in budding start-ups (#VC) will be a better fit for you. Bonus: you also get to bring your personality into this. Great, now we have identified that BD or VC or (add your dream non-lab-bio-job here) is for you, but what are the steps to getting there? Estelle Paysinger-Hill, PMP (Sangamo Therapeutics, Inc.) suggests you do all the informal interviews you can. Reflect on your skills and get those first interview nerves out of the way. Ok, you are doing this, but the process feels uncomfortable and on top of that the imposter syndrome feelings start getting to you. Executive coach and psychotherapist Nidhi Kaul advises you embrace the discomfort and focus on improving the things that you can actually control, including, self awareness, emotion regulation, and communication. And now you are wondering, everyone always talks the talk about how communication is key, but how do you actually improve? Marica Grskovic (CareDx, Inc.), who has been with the same company for ~12 years, a very unorthodox Bay Area story, says that practicing with your family is a good start. You will always have a different audience, so practise delivery by using different people of different backgrounds and seniority. Getting exposure to managing a team (even if it’s the smallest team) will also help you manage these people dynamics! Within this dynamic era of translational science, a lot of us are likely to be looking into transitioning. It never feels easy, but listening to these 5 women who were so comfortable in their skin was very heartwarming!! (two exclamation marks for Becky) If you are unhappy in your current role, the time to change is always now. #WomenInBio #VC #CareerTransition #jobchange #bio #PhD

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T cell supercharging for solid tumors - CRISPR meets Cell therapy A new biotech OverT Bio is coming out of stealth with $16 million from The round was co-led by ARTIS Ventures and Wing VC, with participation from Fusion Fund, OMX Ventures, Alexandria Venture Investments, Gaingels, Civilization Ventures, Hawktail, and Cancer Research Institute (CRI). Here are 5 things investors should know about it. 1. Addressing the Solid Tumor Challenge: The holy grail of cell therapy has been conquering solid tumors. Unlike blood cancers, these tumors present a tougher target due to their complex microenvironment. OverT's focus is significant because current success stories are rare. There are currently 1,111 trials in Phase 1, 511 in phase 2 and 12 in Phase 3 for solid tumors according to ClinicalTrials.gov. Only one cell therapy has been approved for a solid tumor cancer: Iovance’s tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte-based therapy #Amtagvi, which won FDA approval in February for advanced melanoma. 2. Supercharging T Cells with CRISPR Screens: This is where OverT's technology gets exciting. CRISPR screening allows them to identify genes that, when overexpressed, enhance T cell function against tumors. Think of it as giving T cells superpowers! This approach holds promise for creating more potent CAR-T therapies. 3. Not the Only Player in the Arena: Competition is fierce in the CAR-T space. While OverT's approach is promising, it's important to be aware of other players using similar CRISPR activation screens Sidi Chen team and Alex Marson team. 4. Diversifying the Arsenal: Gamma Delta T Cells: OverT is exploring using gamma delta T cells in their therapy. These unique immune cells are activation-independent, potentially offering an advantage over traditional T cells. This adds another layer of potential differentiation for OverT. Gamma delta T cells make up only a small percentage of circulating T cells (around 5%), but they offer some advantages like the ability to recognize tumor-associated antigens without prior MHC presentation. 5. Aggressive Timeline for Clinical Trials: OverT aiming for a mid-2025 clinical trial candidate is ambitious but demonstrates their commitment to rapid development. However, it's crucial to remember that the road from preclinical studies to market is long and fraught with risk. What do you think about this new approach to cell therapy? Spencer Knight Cookie Yu, PhD Nimisha Gupta, Ph.D. Share this news with your investor buddies. They’ll thank you later. 🗣️ #biotech #investment #investor #vc #drug #discovery #healthcare #market #business #crispr #celltherapy _________________________________________________________________________________ Biotech investor or innovator? We assist investors unlock potential by assisting with due diligence and companies refine strategies for success and get bigger exposure to investors. Send me a DM and let´s connect Follow me, hit the 🔔 Adrian Rubstein

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Model systems that recapitulate the intestinal brush border’s functionality are invaluable for drug development. The brush border, a critical structure on the apical surface of epithelial cells lining the small intestine, is key to our understanding of nutrient absorption and digestive health. This specialized structure, with its densely packed microvilli, significantly enhances the surface area of the intestinal lining, facilitating the efficient absorption of essential nutrients. Here’s why replicating the brush border in model systems is so vital: 🌟 Absorption: Microvilli dramatically increase the surface area, enabling the efficient uptake of amino acids, sugars, and fatty acids from digested food. This process is fundamental for nutrient absorption and overall health. 🌟 Enzyme Activity: The brush border membrane is rich in digestive enzymes like lactase, sucrase, and maltase. These enzymes are crucial for breaking down complex carbohydrates into simpler sugars, ready for absorption. 🌟 Protection: Acting as a protective barrier, the brush border defends the underlying cells from harmful substances and pathogens, ensuring the integrity of the intestinal lining. 🌟 Transport: Specialized transport proteins in the brush border membrane facilitate the movement of nutrients and ions into epithelial cells, supporting various physiological functions. Understanding and replicating the intricate functionality of the brush border in model systems is essential for advancing our knowledge in intestinal health and improving therapeutic strategies. #DrugDevelopment #PharmaInnovation #GoWithYourGut #IntestinalHealth #NutrientAbsorption

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Ultra-sensitive liquid biopsy tests using next-generation sequencing are gaining momentum. As we strive to comprehensively understand how our bodies work at the molecular level and how they react to different types of cancers, early detection, and monitoring have become incredibly valuable and could potentially save millions of lives. I celebrate BillionToOne raise! #cancer #liquidbiopsy #ngs #genetics #MolecularDiagnostics #gene https://lnkd.in/d4a4Bb2y

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Another great article in the Life Sci VC blog. Thank you Aimee Raleigh for the article on diligence! It also points out some limitations of current approaches (ERT, virus, RNA, agonists) to impart “gain of function” pharmacology and hence why I am excited about Entact and the ability to enhance protein function! Enjoy the article! https://lnkd.in/ewhqKx_p

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“From Incubation to Acquisition: The growth Journey of an Early-Stage Company” - the story of Serotiny from inception through the turbulations of a biotech startup to an acquisition by Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine to bring their technology for oncology patients. Session led by Melinda Richter Global Head Johnson & Johnson innovation - JLABS, with Serotiny co-founder Colin F. (Also present is other co-founder Justin Farlow), Eric Moessinger Matthew Lorenzi and Leo MacDonald Serotiny started at JLABS section of the MBC incubator and through this connection got access to Johnson & Johnson experts who got excited despite the early stage and willingly joined the journey, shared insights about the killer experiments that needed to be done to get the data package for validation and helped in multiple other ways. Serotiny’s technology held the promise to allow Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine to tailor the design of cell therapy with diverse cell types. Multiple collaborations followed over several years to problem solve together, working closely as a team (“impossible to tell who is from Serotiny and who is from J&J), and an investment by J&J’d venture arm #JJDC. A strong and deep cultural fit became apparent in addition to the potential benefit of the technology, eventually leading to an acquisition just before new year’s 2023 aligned with the original vision of making the most impact through J&J’s big corporate engine and financial power. Post-acquisition and celebration, Serotiny remains in JLABS in the Bay Area. The team is key together, working on the same projects, keeping the same culture and focus on the science and plugged into the larger J&J organization. From an investor perspective (Eric Moessinger): excellent outcome. Colin’s learnings: talk to potential partners earlier and more. JLABS environment was a valuable resource - attended many programs in both Bay Area and DC JLABS locations to learn as much as possible about what’s awaiting downstream. Advice to startups: - See the many “no”s you’ll hear as opportunities to learn, polish your proposition, avoid mistakes. - be open about issues and problems. The right partner will see it as a sign of seriousness and humility - a recipe for success, rather than a liability, and roll up their sleeves to problem-solve. - articulate the differentiation of your company from all others. #mycompany is proud of its offering to innovators that attempts to respond to the needs of young startups: incubation and access to expertise, strategic venture funding at any stage that is aligned with desire to bring products to patients, ability to enter into early stage collaborations and licensing facilitated by a local team that is focused on building long term relationships and appreciates the challenges faced by our partners.

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Amplifying this excellent analysis about "biotech behemoths" of the last 15 years shared by Eddie Eltoukhy from Pear VC. 👇 💡 One thing that jumps out at me from this analysis is the value of being among the crop of sentinel companies in an exciting new category. Within the #cardiology space ... MyoKardia gets a lot of R&D credit and landed a huge M&A premium for being among the first to pioneer precisions medicines the #cardiomyopathy field (even though in hindsight most would agree Bristol Myers Squibb overpaid). The acquisition of Carmot Therapeutics, Inc. by Roche would have also made this list but they were founded 1 year before the analysis cutoff. I agree with Eddie that there are likely some future "behemoths" lurking in the #cardiometabolic space -- including, hopefully Tenaya Therapeutics! -- but it will be harder to break through the noise. Within the #AAV #genetherapy space, AveXis, Spark Therapeutics, Inc., and Audentes make the "behemoth" cut as they were acquired by Big Pharma during a time when there was a lot of excitement about that modality. There are AAV companies today that arguably have more robust and exciting clinical data and technology platforms than Spark and Audentes ever had, but valuations have subsequently plummeted and they will likely never make the "biotech behemoth" list (and in hindsight most would say that Roche and Astellas Pharma overpaid. Within the #geneediting space ... it is remarkable how a technology that was first published on in 2012 has already spawned two "biotech behemoths" in Intellia Therapeutics, Inc. and CRISPR Therapeutics that have both generated incredible clinical data. That shows how rapidly we can now translate new scientific insights into human therapeutics. However, most would agree that it may be harder for new "behemoths" to emerge from among the long tail of gene editing companies that have subsequently emerged, even though their editing technologies may be superior to the original CRISPR/Cas9. 💡 However ... not all sentinels become "behemoths", and why some succeed and some do not is worthy of its own analysis: - In the cell therapy space, bluebird bio was a sentinel pioneer that came down to earth despite great investors and leaders and 4 approved products that have objectively saved lives. - In the AAV space, REGENXBIO Inc. was a sentinel pioneer that spawned two "behemoths" (AveXis and Audentes) but has not yet become one, despite also having generated exciting clinical data of its own. - In the editing space, Sangamo Therapeutics, Inc. was a sentinel pioneer that did not enjoy the success of [Side note: The one thing I don't love methodologically is the choice of using market value at IPO OR as of 12/31/23. Many companies had artificially frothy valuations in the 2019-2021 period, and those prices came down to the earth by now. Sana Biotechnology, Inc. is one example ... they would not make the "behemoth" cut based on stock price on 12/31/23.]

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The BIO International Convention was a jam-packed success! 🌟 Held in San Diego, the event brought together 20,000+ pros in the field of biotechnology. Partnering with other industry leaders under the California Pavilion, we happily spent our time meeting with peers, attending educational and networking sessions and learning about the latest innovation taking place in biotech. Some key takeaways and trends prevalent in the industry include: ✔️ Learning how to connect with audience, balancing key information and authority with the right emotional tone and delivery, is essential in the art of storytelling—and could make the difference in your ability to attract investors. ✔️ International expansion is prevalent as companies are diligently exploring economic and tax incentives on research and development as well as manufacturing and distribution of their products. ✔️ AI is increasingly being incorporated into various aspects of work, from innovation and testing to the financial and operational side of organizations. ✔️ Manufacturing 4.0 and the next generation of AI-driven processes and automation was on top of everyone's mind. ✔️ Capacity is no longer a limiter of growth. If you'd like to learn about Armanino's offerings—and how we can help you redefine possible as you grow your business—feel free to reach out! #Biotechnology #Pharmaceutical #Startup #BIO2024

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It is not easy to be a disruptor in an intrinsically conservative industry like pharma, but it is so much necessary for the future of medicine. It is a good sign that a key cell and gene therapy player entered the top 10 of CNBC Disruptors (a list where OpenAI has been first for two years in a row). Maybe more biotech disruptors in the top ten of this list in the future? For now, well done ElevateBio! With more than $ 1.25B raised, key R&D Partnerships with Pharma including Novo Nordisk, there is great potential to see new genetic medicines in areas like cancer and autoimmune diseases #celltherapy #genetherapy #ElevateBio #CNBCDisruptors #BiotechInnovation #FutureOfMedicine

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🌟 6 Reasons To Join The Cytonics Corporation Team invest.cytonics.com ⚡ Seize the opportunity to impact the future of healthcare and invest in the transformation of regenerative medicine. As we draw near to the conclusion of our equity crowdfunding campaign on May 28th at 11:59pm PST, we invite you to seize the opportunity to invest in Cytonics, a leader in the biotechnology field dedicated to revolutionizing the treatment of osteoarthritis. This is a crucial moment to get involved with a company that is not only advancing a groundbreaking therapy but also offering the potential for significant market impact and growth. 💰 6 reasons to consider investing in Cytonics 🔬 Innovative Therapeutic Approach: Cytonics is pioneering CYT-108, a novel therapy for osteoarthritis, targeting the root cause of cartilage damage rather than just managing symptoms. This addresses a significant unmet medical need, as current treatments mainly offer temporary relief. 🧬 Advanced Development Stage: The company has successfully completed key milestones such as GMP manufacturing and preclinical studies, and has moved into Phase 1 clinical trials. Progress in these areas suggests a maturing pipeline and moves the product closer to market readiness. 🛡️ Strong Intellectual Property: Cytonics holds multiple patents that protect its innovations, providing a competitive edge and potential long-term revenue through licensing or direct market sales. 🤝 Strategic Partnerships and Backing: With major shareholders like Johnson & Johnson owning a 12% stake, Cytonics is well-positioned to leverage industry connections and expertise. Such backing also validates the company’s scientific approach and market strategy. 🌍 Impact Investment: Investing in Cytonics provides an opportunity to contribute to advancing medical science into the new era of biotech innovation. You will directly contribute to creating the solution to osteoarthritis - a debilitating which affects millions globally. 🪙 Market Potential: Osteoarthritis is a growing concern worldwide, especially with aging populations. A successful disease-modifying drug could capture a significant share of a $240B global market, offering potential lucrative returns to early backers. Don't miss out on this unique investment opportunity to be part of a future where osteoarthritis can be effectively treated, transforming millions of lives around the world, and reinventing the regenerative medicine sector. #biotech #biotechnology #arthritis #osteoarthritis #investing #crowdfunding #venturecapital #healthcare #drugdevelopment #clinicaltrials #regenerativemedicine #orthopedics #orthopaedics #surgery #investor #FDA #medicine #lifesciences #researchanddevelopment #capitalmarkets

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As always, great thoughts from Bruce Booth of Atlas Venture https://lnkd.in/dewT7jdy And it's so important to focus on early quality of team, science and initial data set (not excluding reasonable valuations and lean cap table)

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Using ChatGPT as a prominent example, it is clear after few attempts that there is bias in the system that is beyond spontaneous, some look clearly as intended and programmed. Using tools like google, although also not immune to bias and suggestions, can guide you to the website and deliver information that is not manipulated by a third party, while using an AI tool you rely heavily on the programmers good/bad intentions… The repercussions to our democracy and wellbeing as enlightened citizens are obvious. A recent study below touches on that subject matter: AI systems are already capable of deceiving humans. Deception is the systematic inducement of false beliefs in others to accomplish some outcome other than the truth. Large language models and other AI systems have already learned, from their training, the ability to deceive via techniques such as manipulation, sycophancy, and cheating the safety test. AI’s increasing capabilities at deception pose serious risks, ranging from short-term risks, such as fraud and election tampering, to long-term risks, such as losing control of AI systems. Proactive solutions are needed, such as regulatory frameworks to assess AI deception risks, laws requiring transparency about AI interactions, and further research into detecting and preventing AI deception. Proactively addressing the problem of AI deception is crucial to ensure that AI acts as a beneficial technology that augments rather than destabilizes human knowledge, discourse, and institutions.

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Enjoyed our chat Ron Leuty. Your story on our male birth control pill candidate is timely given today's positive Supreme Court decision to preserve a woman's access to #mifepristone. Despite this positive decision, it's clear women's reproductive rights and access to contraception are under attack. By advancing a male contraceptive, we not only offer more options for men to help with pregnancy prevention, we safeguard access to contraceptives for women--no one can take away women's access to contraceptives without also taking away men's access. Thanks for recognizing that a male pill is good for both men and women's health. https://bizj.us/1qlg86 #menshealth #womenshealth #reproductiverights #reproductiveequity #innovation

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Looking back at the past 30 years, I remember myself doing science about 55-60 hours a week, and then helping venture capitalists and biotech start-ups about 70-80 h/week. Usually unsatisfied, sometimes exhausted, but pleased overall. This overexciting workaholism was somehow interrupted last year. I had less work and a lot of mountaineering, - climbed about 5.5 Chomolungma attitudes during the year. It feels like I have reached the stage at which it is a time to start sharing experiences and understanding of the universe. This week, I started to share by publishing an analytic report at SeekigAlpha about TG Therapeutics. This small biotech company has developed a third-to-market anti-CD20 mAb for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS). Along with the company, this report briefly touches upon current treatments for MS, the competitive landscape of therapeutics, and the uncertainties surrounding the development of new BTK inhibitors. https://lnkd.in/drAFx9vt

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The ability to extract ISF with the most simplistic ease is in itself a breakthrough.

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I wonder if change in a mature industry is incremental or disruptive? I've been on the road last 3 weeks. One of my realizations is that the pharma/biotech industry is having a really hard time understanding the implications of AI in their field. Our conversations are centered on how AI might augment our old way of doing things. Not so much on will there be newer ways of doing things? Biological research is a complex balancing exercise between mechanistic understanding and pure empirical evidence. We are progressively better at understanding - or as I would say hypothesising - about how a disease works and how a drug might 'cure' it. A submission of mechanism of action is more common in IND applications but as far as I can tell it's not a pre-requisite. The greatest successes of drug research are solid empirical hit and trial. Very successful ones at that. The hay day of drug research in the 60s to 90s was because big pharma figured out how to do compound screening effectively at scale. Will AI give us new ways to do this in more effective ways? I would be extremely surprised if that were not to be the case. a. we have never had access to the kind of data that we do now b. we have never had a tool like modern AI to sift through data Those two combined will give us ways to do empirical research like we haven't done before. That much is clear. Will it change the relative dearth of blockbuster drugs? That is a whole another subject. What is clear to me is that the current focus on mechanistic understanding will have to evolve to incorporate AI. We will have newer ways to do things - not necessarily change or abandon old ways. Link to a blog that Abhishek wrote in 2020 which seems truer than ever before.

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